1856 British Guiana One Cent Black on Magenta Stamp

The one cent “Black on Magenta” stamp from 1856 is certainly one of the most rare and most expensive stamps of all time. It was from the British colony of Guiana (now known as Guyana).

In 1856, Guiana was in urgent need of an additional supply of stamps. They were normally produced in England, but they could not wait until the new stamps arrived. Desperate, the postmaster asked the publishers of the Official Gazette to print stamps for an emergency issuance.

The stamps were printed in 1 cent and 4 cent denominations. The 4 cent stamps were used for mailing letters and the 1 cent stamps were used for mailing newspapers. They were crude in nature. Their shape was an odd looking rectangle with clipped corners. The stamps depicted a sailing ship with the name “British Guiana”. There was an inscription that said "Damus Petimus que Vicissim" ("We Give and We Seek in Return"). The stamps were printed on poor quality paper in black ink on magenta paper. Post office officials were afraid of counterfeits so employees had to initial each stamp before it could be released for sale.

The stamps were not on the market for very long, which is likely one of the reasons that it is currently so valuable. There is only one known stamp left in the world. The stamp is so valuable, that the last time it was sold was in 1980. That single stamp sold for over $935,000. The stamp currently resides in a bank vault.

The Lucille Ball Stamp Part II Of II

In continuation to the post on Friday.

Determined to prove her teachers wrong, she returned to New York City in 1929. She became a fashion model, but was stricken with Rheumatoid Arthritis and had to stop working for two years. Once physically well again, she returned to New York City and continued her career as a model and performed on Broadway.

In 1933, she moved to Hollywood and appeared in many small, not well known, movie rolls. She worked with top notch celebrities, in popular movies, but never achieved stardom. In 1940, she married Desi Arnaz. Ball was the elder of the two in the relationship. Women being older than men was a bit taboo in the 1940’s, so they both agreed that their birth year was 1914. They had two children, Lucie Desiree Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. Ball and Arnaz divorced in 1960.

In 1948, television executives were not thrilled with the pilot of the couple’s new show so they hit the vaudeville circuit. The show was a success so CBS put “I Love Lucy” on their lineup. The show ran until 1960. Ball went on to star in two more successful television series: The Lucy Show and Here’s Lucy.

On April 26, 1989, Lucille Ball died. She left behind a legacy that still has not been matched today.

The Lucille Ball Stamp Part I Of II

There is a reason why they named her television show “I Love Lucy”….simply put, everyone adored her then and the same stands true in 2008. In 2001, Lucille Ball was honored with a commemorative stamp by the United States Postal Service in their “Legends of Hollywood” series.

Lucille Ball was one of the most beloved and talented actresses of the 20th century. Her memory still lives on today in re-runs of her best loved show “I Love Lucy”. Known as a hair-brained red-head, she was instead a great entertainer and powerful businesswoman.

This stamp was the second stamp issued in her honor, not the norm in postage stamp issuances, for a private citizen. This stamp came in 34 cent denominations and was appropriately unveiled at the Hollywood History Museum in Hollywood, California.

Lucille Ball was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. Forever a comedian, she told people she was born in Butte, Montana. Lucille’s father died when she was very young. She went on to live with her mother and grandparents. Her grandfather introduced her to theater and encouraged her to perform on her own and in school plays.

In 1927, Ball was sent to the John Murray Anderson School for Dramatic Arts in New York City. She worked with the likes of Bette Davis. After a few weeks there, she was sent home. She was told that she would never have a future as a performer. How wrong they were!

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion to this post.

American Idol Stamps

Good news for fans of the extremely popular television show, American Idol. The producers of the show have teamed up with stamps.com to distribute stamps depicting the past winners of the show. All proceeds of the stamps will go to the Idol Gives Back Foundation that was established with wide success last year. The charity’s focus is on helping six different charities: the Children's Defense Fund, The Global Fund, Make It Right, Malaria No More, Save The Children, U.S. Programs and the Children's Health Fund.

The first stamp to be released was of Kelly Clarkson, who was the winner of the first season. Stamps for Rubin Studdard and Fantasia Barrino are also currently available. The next stamps to be released are for Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks and whoever will be the winner of the show this season.

There will only be 2000 sheets available per Idol winner, per state. Each sheet has 20 stamps. Each sheet will cost $19.99. The shipping is free. One hundred percent of all of the proceeds will go directly to the Idol Gives Back Foundation.

There are some big corporate sponsors with this charity. Ford, Exxon, AT&T, Allstate, Coca-Cola, I Tunes, News Corporation and Aid Fund are all huge supporters.

If you are interested in purchasing these fun stamps, visit www.stamps.com or americanidol.com for more information. My guess is that with the popularity of the show, these stamps will not last long and maybe will spark interest in

new stamp collectors worldwide.

Action For Species 2: Endangered Insects

Insects are not usually something that I consider to be beautiful. I have always liked butterflies, dragonflies and ladybugs, but others….not so much. They creep, they crawl, they fly, they bite or sting, and some can even jump…oh no!

Great Britain’s Royal Mail released new stamps in their “Action for Species series on April 15, 2008. Each stamp, in the 10 stamp series features, an insect that is endangered in the United Kingdom. The stamps show how beautiful and delicate each insect really is.

This set of endangered insects stamps are the second set issued by Great Britain. The first set in the series, issued in September 2007, featured endangered birds. The insects were photographed in London at the Natural History Museum. They currently hold 28 million insect specimens. Because of a loss in habitat, the insects featured have been put on the endangered list.

The insects depicted on the stamps include: the Adonis Blue Butterfly (my personal favorite), the Southern Damselfly, the Red Barbed Ant, the Barberry Carpet Moth, the Stag Beetle, the Hazel Pot Beetle, the Field Cricket, the Silver-spotted Skipper, the Purbeck Mason Wasp and the Noble Chafer Beetle.

Each species of plant, insect or animal that is placed on an endangered list should be of concern to everyone….no matter what part of the globe you reside. All living things have a purpose on this earth, even if they make you squirm!

Sugar Ray Robinson

Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson was born Walker Smith Jr. on May 3, 1921. He was considered to be the greatest boxer of all time.

Robinson had an amazing run as an amateur, boasting an 85-0 victory, with 69 of those victories being a knock-out for his opponents. He continued has successes into his professional career winning 128 matches and losing few others. His professional wins included 84 knockouts. He won the world featherweight and lightweight divisions. He was also a world welterweight and middleweight title holder. He holds the record of winning the middleweight title five times. He also won the world championship six times. He was virtually unbeatable his entire boxing career.

Sugar Ray Robinson was named the greatest fighter of the 20th century by the Associated Press, and ESPN named him the greatest boxer in history in 2007. Despite his amazing successes in the ring, Robinson struggled once his fighting career ended. Sadly he lived in poverty until his death. He died on April 12, 1989 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease and Diabetes.

In 2006, The United States Postal Service released a stamp in Robinson’s honor. The stamp resembles the vintage fight poster from the 1940’s and 1950’s that was made during his peak fighting years.

I Was Fooled...Only Briefly!

I received an email recently. The email said that the stamp that is shown in this post is a new stamp from the United States Postal Service.

The email said “Here is the new postage stamp that will be issued in September. Isn’t it awesome?” The email states that the stamp is being sold to commemorate the tragedies of September 11th. I did notice that there was not a denomination value on the stamp so I decided to investigate. Yes, it is very beautiful. Yes, it touched my heart. Yes, I am sure people would buy it. But….NO, it is not real. It is not really a hoax, but sort of is.

Apparently the original drawing was made by Danny Hahlbolm of Moon & Back Graphics. Someone in cyberspace added the edges to make it look like a stamp. Someone claimed that it was a new stamp from the USPS. This stamp is not a new or proposed stamp from the USPS. It is simply a beautiful artistic expression entitled “Forever…In God’s Hands”.

The process for proposing and designing new stamp designs is very structured. The image on this non-stamp is very complex. Most stamp designs are not.

So the lesson is….. be cautious of what you read online or in your email inbox. Certainly, not everything is true. But, this sure would make a pretty stamp!

Stamp Collecting Around The Globe

Stamp collecting is an interesting and exciting hobby to participate in. Foreign stamps are unique and certainly dominate the philatelic world in many areas. The topics on these stamps are endless. Whether you are looking for celebrities, fish, world leaders, sports, flowers or geography; there will not be any trouble locating stamps that will be of interest you. Some smaller countries even sell their stamps as their main source of revenue.

Some people concentrate their efforts on collecting only foreign stamps. You would need to have fairly good knowledge of most of the topics dealing with stamps and postal histories of various countries when collecting foreign stamps, especially if you are a beginner. Foreign stamps generally give you insight into the geography,
history and culture of a particular country. The diversity of topics that can be investigated will increase a person’s general overall knowledge base.

A good way to begin collecting stamps from around the world would be to buy stamp packets from a stamp dealer. This is usually the least expensive and the easiest way to start your collection.

There is an endless ocean of stamps that are available to stamp collectors. There is an average of ten thousand new stamps released worldwide each year. Visit www.stampcenter.com for a wide variety of international stamps that you
might find interesting.

Calvin Coolidge Stamp

The thirtieth (1923 to 1929) President of the United States was John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. who is best known as Calvin Coolidge. Beginning his patriotism very early, he was the only President to ever be born on the 4th of July. He spent his childhood with his family growing up in Vermont.

He was always interested in politics. Prior to becoming President, he was the Vice President, Governor, Lt. Governor, State Legislator, and mayor and a lawyer. Coolidge was known for his somewhat laid back presidential style. His most major presidential accomplishment was the signing of The Immigration Act of 1924. The law limited the amount of immigrants that were allowed into the United States. Only a total of 150,000 people would be allowed in each year. The people of Japan were forbidden from entering the United States under this new law.

Calvin Coolidge has appeared on two United States postage stamps. The first one was issued in 1938 as part of a presidential series. It was a $5 denomination. The second stamp was issued in 1986. It was issued in 22 cent denomination.

If you are interested in purchasing a 1938 $5 stamp of Calvin Coolidge, visit http://www.stampcenter.com/. A true piece of American history is available there.

A Stamp History Lesson Part II Of II

In continuation to the post on Monday.

Stamps were sold for 5 cents each for a letter that would travel less than 310 miles. There was little chance that anyone had a need to send a letter beyond the East coast, so initially delivery and sales were limited to Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Virginia. Soon afterwards, the stamp trend grew and other states began to sell their own stamps.

There were no stamps available for those who wanted to mail letters overseas. Instead the letters were loaded on ships and delivered with no official stamp on the envelope. It took decades for an overseas mail delivery system to be put in place.

It was not until 1947 that the first nationwide postage stamp was issued by the United States government. The five cent stamp was kept and the design on the stamp was a picture of Benjamin Franklin (who was the first Postmaster General) with a red background. They also introduced a 10 cent stamp featuring George Washington. Stamp prices dropped in 1951 to 1 cent each. The new stamp was issued with Benjamin Franklin also, but the background color was changed to all blue. Finding a 1 cent stamp would be a very valuable treasure for any stamp collector. They have sold for over $200,000 in previous auctions.

Stamp production and collecting has come a long way in the last 61 years!

A Stamp History Lesson Part I Of II

Postal routes in the United States began as early as 1639, running from Boston to New York City. In 1692 it cost 9 pence for a single sheet letter to travel between New York and Boston (Wow, and people complain about our current mail costs!). Riders traveled individually from place to place rather than like a relay. Postage rates were very high and were thought to be another form of taxation by England. Once Great Britain passed The British Stamp Act
for America in 1765 (a formal tax on all types of official documents), the American Revolution began. A year later, the Stamp Act was repealed.

The first postage stamp ever created came from Great Britain in 1840. It was not until 1845 that the United States approved its first postage stamp. Due to various national troubles in the country, the US initially encountered ups and downs with their stamp system.

In the beginning each local postmaster had to design his own stamp. There were a wide variety of paid systems that were used. Sometimes the postmaster used simple drawings with his signature as a stamp. There were no real guidelines that were followed at the beginning of our stamp history.

Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion to this post.

Mars Pathfinder Stamp

On December 10, 1997, the United States Postal Service paid tribute to NASA’s Mars Pathfinder mission. The stamp is a $3 Priority Mail stamp which features a panoramic view of the Martian landscape with the rover still stowed on a petal of the Pathfinder lander.

The image on the stamp was one of the first images that were transmitted after the Pathfinder landed on Mars on July 4, 1997. The Sojourner had exited the Pathfinders ramp within 24 hours of arriving on Mars, providing more images of the amazing landscape on Mars.

With sales expected to soar worldwide, there were 15 million stamp sheets printed for the first day issuance. The stamp sheet features information about the mission and about the image taken on the reverse side.

The Mars Pathfinder stamp was only the third stamp in US history to incorporate invisible images to prevent counterfeiting. There is hidden text that reads “Mars Pathfinder, July 4, 1997” embedded on each stamp. These letters/numbers are not visible by the naked eye. You will need a decoder lens in order to be able to see them.

The arrival of the Pathfinder on Mars was one of the most significant achievements in American space history. This stamp is certainly a great collectible item to have in your collection.

United Nations...Why Do They Issue Stamps? Part II Of II

In continuation to the post on Monday.

The first stamp issued by the UN in the United States was on October 24, 1951. These new stamps proved to be most desirable and were sold out within days of their issue. In 1957, with each new issue of stamp still regularly selling out, it was decided to increase production from one million stamps to five million stamps.

There would be similar postal agreements to follow with Austrian and Swiss postal authorities. On October 4, 1969, the UNPA began to issue stamps in Swiss francs. It took a bit longer for the agreement with the Vienna office. On August 24, 1979 the UNPA began it issue stamps in Austrian shillings. Stamps are currently issued in Euros. All postage rates are identical to the going rate of the host nation.

Because stamps can only be used at UN offices, they are often available in bulk in secondary markets. Many times buyers can even find the stamps discounted well below the stamps face value. Most stamps are purchased by stamp collectors or tourists. The UNPA currently has limited postal services available to the public. They have stated that their primary reason of issuing stamps is for philatelic purposes.

The 1970’s proved to be one of the best stamp selling decades for the UNPA. Many of their stamps sold out completely on their first day of issue.

Visit www.stampcenter.com if you are interested in purchasing stamps by the United Nations.